Visit the Rock Houses at Kinver Edge. From our Tardebigge base on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, it’s a 20-hour, 37-mile, 32-lock journey to Kinver on the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal, close to the National Trust’s Holy Austin Rock Houses. Said to be the last occupied cave-dwellings in England, these houses dug into the base of the sandstone escarpment were inhabited until the 1960s. Kinver is on the route of the Stourport Ring, which can be tackled on a week’s holiday from Tardebigge, travelling a total of 76 miles via Birmingham, Kidderminster, Stourport and Worcester.
Explore creatures of the night at the Pitt Rivers Museum. From our Oxford base, it’s a tranquil three-hour cruise along the River Thames to moorings at Hythe Bridge, perfect for a short break exploring Oxford, including the extraordinary Pitt Rivers Museum. This Museum is home to one of the world’s finest collection of anthropology and archaeology, including shrunken heads from the Amazon and the famous ‘witch in a bottle’. From Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 October, 1-4pm the Pitt Rivers will be hosting special October Half Term activities ‘Bats, Cats, Witches and Charms’, exploring creatures of the night, magic charms and solving mysteries.
Travel across ‘The Stream in the Sky’ to the Shropshire Lake District. Just five minutes from our canal boat hire base on the Llangollen Canal at Trevor in North Wales, the incredible Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is truly one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’. Its cast iron trough is carried 38 metres high above the Dee Valley on 19 hollow pillars and in 2009 it was granted World Heritage status, putting it on an equal footing with the Taj Mahal. On a short break from Trevor, boaters can cross the aqueduct and head east to the Ellesmere Lakes, also known as the Shropshire Lake District.
Enjoy 1,000 years of history at Warwick Castle. From our Stockton base on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire, Warwick and its magnificent medieval castle is a day’s cruise away. Developed from the original castle built by William the Conqueror in 1068, Warwick Castle offers visitors ‘flight of the eagle’ shows, trebuchet firing displays, Horrible Histories Maze, Kingmaker exhibition, Castle Dungeon tour, Princess Tour and ramparts to climb. Over the October Half Term holiday (21-31 October), special Haunted Castle activities include the spectacular Fire Joust, spooktacular shows at the Dead Centre Stage, the search for magic potions at The Witches Tower and a Halloween Trail.
Cruise to the spectacular flight of locks at Devizes. From our base on the Kennet & Avon Canal at in Bath, it’s a 10-hour, eight-lock cruise to Fox Hanger Wharf at the base of the mighty Caen Hill flight of 29 locks at Devizes, one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’. Once here, the historic market town of Devizes is a short walk away, with its Wadworth Brewery Visitor Centre and famous shire horses making daily deliveries, plus a range of shops, pubs and restaurants, including the ‘Peppermill Restaurant’ and the historic Bear Hotel. Along the way, narrowboat holiday-makers can stop off to explore the beautiful river and canalside town of Bradford on Avon, home to the magnificent 14th monastic stone Tithe Barn, with its amazing timber cruck roof.
Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace. From our base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal in Henley in Arden, it’s a delightful six-hour, 17-lock cruise journey through the Warwickshire countryside to Bancroft Basin, in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon. From here, it’s a short walk to a range of shops, restaurants, pubs, cafes and museum’s, including Shakespeare’s Birthplace on Henley Street. Visitors to the Museum can walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps and explore the house where he was born, grew up and spent the first five years of his marriage, hearing tales of Shakespeare’s family life and enjoying live theatre on demand.
Discover the World of Wedgwood. From our hire boat yard at Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire, it’s a 14-mile, 12-lock journey to the wonderful ‘World of Wedgwood’ at Trentham Lock. Here an interactive visitor centre celebrates British craftsmanship with the Wedgewood Museum, Factory Tour, shopping, food and special family activities, including ‘Spooky Pottery Painting’ over the October Half Term holiday (23-29 October).
See David Hockney’s paintings at Salts Mill. From our base at Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in West Yorkshire, it takes seven hours to reach Sir Titus Salt’s model town at Saltaire, now a World Heritage Site. Here, the Yorkshire industrialist Sir Titus Salt built a textile mill and village to house his workers by the River Aire. Today, the ‘1853 Gallery’ at Salts Mill is houses a permanent exhibition of over 300 works by the Bradford born artist David Hockney, including his ‘Arrival of Spring’ series.
Experience the ‘Enchantment of Chester Zoo’. From our base at Bunbury, Chester Zoo is an eight-hour journey, travelling 15 miles through the rolling Cheshire landscape and the centre of the historic city of Chester, and passing through 10 locks. Over the October Half Term holiday (21-31 October) ‘The Enchantment at Chester Zoo’ event encourages families to help break the sorcerer’s spell to send the zoo to sleep, seeking out moths, sloths, giraffes and orangutans to gather clues and save the Zoo!
To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly Booking Team on 0117 304 1122.
Share your canal pics with Anglo Welsh and you could win great prizes in our ‘Canal Adventures 2017’ Instagram Photo Challenge.
The waterways of England and Wales are nothing if not a photographer’s dream. Picturesque canals, enchanting towpaths, handsome narrowboats and panoramic landscapes – we’re talking one great big visual adventure crying out to be captured on film.
Now Anglo Welsh is offering every canal lover the chance to share their own best photos of this unique natural world as we launch a visual gallery of the UK’s most stunning waterways. Best of all, by entering our ‘Canal Adventures 2017’ Challenge* you could win our outstanding first prize, a Canon EOS 1300D digital camera worth £300, or in the case of three lucky runners-up, an HP Sprocket Photo Printer worth £100.
Taking part in Anglo Welsh’s 2017 Instagram Photo Challenge couldn’t be easier! All you have to do is:
1) ‘follow’ Anglo Welsh on Instagram and Facebook.
2) upload your photos to these platforms using the hashtag #canaladventures2017.
To give yourself the best chance of winning a prize your photo should capture the essence of UK canals. We’re looking for stunning views from and of narrowboats, towpaths and waterways, not to mention canal-side landscapes, fauna and flora.
Before you grab your camera – or mobile phone – and set off on your great canal adventure, here are a few photographic tips from Anglo Welsh’s in-house snappers.
Lateral thinking. You’re not taking a posed picture in a portrait studio with a nondescript background behind your subject; you’re capturing the beauty of a natural setting. Whether it’s a canal detail, a narrowboat or the skipper, put the subject of your photo off-centre for dramatic effect.
Capture the moment. The latest mobile phone cameras are so good you can take spontaneous photos without sacrificing quality. Remember, that kingfisher or otter won’t wait for you to take light readings and set up your tripod!
Explore different angles. Photograph those water voles or water lilies down at eye level. Crouch down to get a new perspective on these little living things.
Shoot in the shade. Direct sunlight is harsh and makes your subject squint. When shooting in the shade, there are no more harsh shadows, only smooth patterns created by your subject’s natural features.
Take lots of photos. Here’s a secret that professional snappers prefer to keep to themselves – the best pictures are the select few that a photographer actually got right. For every perfect image of reflections in the water, sunset behind a canal lock or vintage narrowboats in harmony with their surroundings, there are dozens of blurry, dull photos that never made it off the cutting room floor.
Enjoy your canal adventures and remember, by sharing your photos on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #canaladventures2017 you could win a Canon EOS 1300D, a top-notch Digital SLR for anyone who loves taking photos of the UK’s beautiful waterways.
If you have any questions about Anglo Welsh’s ‘Canal Adventure 2017’ Challenge, please contact our friendly customer team on 0117 304 1122.
Terms and conditions. – Competition begins 1st May 2017 and closes on 31st August 2017.
– To enter the competition, you must be following Anglo Welsh on Instagram and Facebook and must upload photos to these platforms using the hashtag #canaladventures2017.
– Entrants can be all ages. Under 16s must seek permission from a parent or guardian.
– Entrants can submit as many photos as they like during the competition period.
– Photographs must show typical scenery of UK canals which can be seen whilst aboard a canal boat or on a towpath e.g waterways, canals, narrowboats, landscapes, wildlife, canal-side countryside, etc.
– Photos must be taken and uploaded in 2017, between the above dates.
– The winner will be selected by the judging panel. The judges’ decision is final.
– Prize winners will be announced via Instagram and Facebook on 8th September, 2017.
– First prize is a Canon EOS 1300D worth approx. £300. Three runners-up prizes are an HP Sprocket worth approx. £100 each. The prizes cannot be exchanged or returned. There is no cash equivalent.
– Winner(s) may be contacted by Anglo Welsh if they want to use the images for any advertisement or publication.
– The organiser reserves the right to change or cancel the competition at any time.
– By entering you agree by the rules and are happy for your imagery to be used for marketing purposes by Anglo Welsh Waterway Holidays and their associated companies.
– Members of Anglo Welsh staff plus staff of associated companies are not permitted to enter this competition.
We’re welcoming ‘Eynsham’ back with a discount & bubbles!
Our 61ft narrowboat ‘Eynsham’ has been refurbished over the winter and will be returning to action on the Stratford Canal next week (7 April 2017), with hire prices starting at less than £22 pppn.
‘Eynsham’ has been transformed from a boat for eight people, into a spacious six-berth, with a generous front cabin, one bathroom and two cabins, making her the perfect family boat.
Her accommodation can be configured as one dinette double, with one fixed double and two fixed singles, or one dinette double with four fixed single beds.
First introduced to the Anglo Welsh fleet in 2004, ‘Eynsham’ has spent 12 years taking canal boat holiday-makers on adventures along the Kennet & Avon Canal.
To celebrate her return, we are offering her for hire throughout 2017 at price band 5/E, rather than 6/F, saving up to £150. And every new booking for holidays on ‘Eynsham’ in 2017 will receive a complimentary bottle of Bubbly on board.
In 2017, short break narrowboat holidays aboard ‘Eynsham’ start at £640, weekly breaks from £915. These prices include cancellation protection.*
On a short break (three or four nights) from our canal boat hire base on the Stratford Canal at Wootton Wawen, narrowboat holiday-makers can travel through the beautiful Warwickshire countryside to visit the historic market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of Shakespeare.
The journey passes over two aqueducts, through 17 locks and takes around six hours. Along the way, boaters can stop off at the pretty village of Wilmcote and step back in time to experience the sights, smells and sounds of a Tudor farm at Mary Arden’s Farm, the house where Shakespeare’s mother grew up.
Once in Stratford itself, there are town centre moorings at Bancroft Basin, close to the Swan Theatre, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, and a choice of pubs, restaurants and cafes, including the One Elm pub, Hathaway Tea Rooms, Carluccio’s and the Giggling Squid.
On a week’s break from Wootton Wawen, boaters can reach the historic county town of Warwick to visit its jaw-dropping medieval castle, tackling the infamous flight of locks at Hatton along the way.
Or head to Birmingham and moor up in Gas Street Basin to explore our exciting second city, boasting more canals than Venice and award-winning attractions like the Thinktank Science Museum.
On a 10 night to two-week holiday from Wootton Wawen, the Warwickshire or Avon rings can be completed.
Go to our bookings page to check availability or call us on 0117 304 1122 to find out more.
*A compulsory Damage Waiver of £50 is required. Fuel deposits are £50 for short breaks and £90 for week long holidays.
To book a holiday or break on the Eynsham or any of the Anglo Welsh fleet, call our friendly booking team on 0117 304 1122.
What’s on in 2017 – Anglo Welsh’s guide to the year’s top canal festivals
Literary giant Dr Samuel Johnson famously said that “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. Here at Anglo Welsh we reckon you could say the same thing about canals! Every year there is an action-packed calendar of festivals and boat shows on the waterways near our 11 bases in England and Wales, and 2017 is no exception.
Dr Johnson’s hometown of Lichfield lies just a few miles by waterway from the historic Shropshire Union Canal, a firm favourite among holidaymakers departing from Anglo Welsh’s Great Haywood and Bunbury bases. Taking place just cruising distance from both bases is the 18th annual Audlem Festival of Transport (30th July), where a record number of vintage canal boats are expected at the Audlem Wharf next to Audlem Mill and the Shroppie Fly. For all-round transport buffs, there will also be a parade of 300+ vintage cars, vans, trucks and buses.
TheSkipton Waterway Festival(29th April – 1st May) on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal near Anglo Welsh’s Silsden base will see narrowboats lined up along the Skipton Basin and surrounding towpaths. The North Yorkshire event also features specialist attractions like the ‘Birds of Prey’ show and the ‘Bark-ing mad wood turners’, plus a host of children’s rides. The Silsden to Skipton stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs through a beautiful part of Yorkshire and offers gorgeous views of the South Pennine countryside and old stone-built villages.
The Crick Boat Show(27th – 29th May) in Northamptonshire is Britain’s biggest inland waterways festival. Visitors can take a free trip out onto the water to experience the Grand Union Canal on a vintage canal boat, and for nostalgic narrowboaters there will be a unique show of historic boats dating back as far as 1909. The Crick event is organised by Waterways World, a must-read monthly magazine that explores the UK’s waterway systems, tests the latest boats, and looks into the history and heritage of our canals.
There will certainly be plenty of canal history and heritage on offer at the Foxton Locks Festival(17th – 18th June) near Market Harborough on Anglo Welsh’s East Midlands Circuit. Waterway enthusiasts will tell you the highlight is witnessing boats getting up or down the hill through the famous Foxton locks and the amazing inclined plane, but that’s not the only thing on offer. Leicestershire’s much-loved festival boasts a fantastic range of historic boats to enjoy as well as craft marquees, a music festival and the ever-popular Fun Dog Show.
Another early summer highlight comes in the shape of the Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally and Canal Festival (24th – 25th June) near Daventry in Northamptonshire. Over 80 historic boats will gather at the picturesque marina located on three Anglo Welsh circuits – the Warwickshire Ring, South of England Circuit and East Midlands Circuit. There they will take part in parades with expert commentary; other attractions include a real ale beer tent, boat exhibitors, waterways artists, live music, and Morris dancing.
Travelling across to Shakespeare country on Anglo Welsh’s popular Avon Ring, the Stratford-upon-Avon River Festival(1st – 2nd July) is now in its eighth year and goes from strength to strength. It’s a quintessentially English summer festival featuring a display of spectacular narrowboats, world-class live music, fun activities in the Family Zone, an artisan craft market, a delicious selection of global food stalls, and an awesome Saturday firework display.
For canal goers who enjoy spectacular festivals and thrilling boat shows, 2017 will clearly be another busy year on the UK’s waterways. To paraphrase Dr Johnson; if a man, woman or child is tired of canal festivals and Anglo Welsh narrowboats, they are tired of life!
Click here to see the full range of Anglo Welsh canal circuits on the Shropshire Union Canal, Grand Union Canal, East Midlands Circuit, the Avon Ring and more.
Anglo Welsh’s friendly staff at our 11 bases in England and Wales will be delighted to recommend the best local boating events. To book a narrowboat holiday in 2017 call our booking team on 0117 304 1122.
High-end boats at low-end prices: save 20% on Constellation & Bond Class holidays this summer
British summertime is often a rollercoaster of highs and lows and this year is proving no different. School holidays (hooray!), seaside showers (boo!), Andy Murray (hooray!), England’s football team (boo!), family picnics (hooray!), motorway traffic jams (boo!).
But one traffic-free tradition you can always rely on is the chance to cruise in style for less on Britain’s waterways courtesy of Anglo Welsh, Britain’s most trusted canal and narrowboat experts for 40 years. We pride ourselves on always offering our customers the summer’s most attractive narrowboat offers, and this year is no exception.
Our exclusive summer 2016 promotion offers20% off all Constellation and Bond class bookings for holidays and cruises taken before September 4th. The only thing you need to do to secure this incredible offer is to book your narrowboat hire before the end of July**.
The prices are modest, but you will be travelling in handsome style. The customised Bond Class has been an incredibly popular Anglo Welsh hire over the years, while the brand-new Constellation Class combines theproven layout of the Bond with upgraded facilities and attractive new livery. Both classes are available for hire from our 11 bases in prime locations across the inland waterways of England and Welsh, so there’s an Anglo Welsh experience for everyone, whether a 4-berth, 6-berth or 12-berth suits your requirements.
A perfect summer’s day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing and the birds are singing; and naturally, it all feels even more idyllic when you are cruising along a canal with your family or friends. Throw in Anglo Welsh’s fabulous 20% discount on its premium class Constellations and Bond narrowboats, and we’re sure you’ll agree this could be the summer holiday of a lifetime. Hip hip hooray!
To get your 20% discount, call the Booking Office now on 0117 304 1122 and quote ‘reach for the stars’.
‘Messing about in boats’ – there’s really nothing better!
“Believe me my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” So says Ratty to Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s classic novel ‘The Wind in the Willows’. To which the 150,000 people who take a canal holiday in the UK every year can only respond: “And so say all of us!”
Everyone who hires a narrowboat will have their own passions when it comes to messing about on the water, but with Ratty otherwise engaged, here are a few reasons why the Anglo Welsh team believe waterway holidays are an incomparable experience.
Relaxation. No traffic jams, no customs, no connecting flights, no noisy neighbours. Above all, no stress. Is there any better way to unwind on holiday than to meander along a canal surrounded by England’s green and pleasant land (not forgetting some wonderful Welsh landscapes)?
All the mod cons. The days when canal jaunts meant sleepless nights in uncomfortable cabins are long gone. Anglo Welsh’s fleet of 160 modern narrowboats offer all the creature comforts: fully-equipped kitchens, gas central heating, high spec showers, TVs, bedding, towels, even free wi-fi*.
Kids love canals. A family adventure on a narrowboat is an experience your children, or grandchildren, will cherish for the rest of their lives. Younger kids love pottering about on boats; even teenagers have been known to surrender their mobiles and muck in at the locks. And eating together as a family means leisurely meals on board, not fast food at McDonald’s (though ‘big kids’ often prefer traditional pub lunches in canal-side pubs!).
Doggy heaven. Dogs like canal holidays even more than us humans. Fresh air, new smells, plenty of countryside stops for bracing walks, maybe even the odd swim. Up to two well-behaved dogs are welcome on all of Anglo Welsh boats. Just keep Fido away from the swans!
It’s better than the zoo. Britain’s canals boast a staggering range of habitats and wildlife. Swans, mallard ducks, moorhens, coots, herons, kingfishers; water voles (like the slightly confused ‘Ratty’), otters, frogs; dragonflies, butterflies. No tigers, but no cages either.
No experience, no problem. One of Anglo Welsh’s experienced instructors will show you how to start the engine, fill up with water, steer, slow down, moor up and navigate locks. You’ll be amazed how straightforward it all is.
Location, Location, Location. Anglo Welsh has 11 bases in prime locations across the inland waterways of England and Wales. Our routes pass through rural idylls galore and historical towns and cities like Bath, Oxford, Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Something for every budget. Long holidays, 3-day weekends, midweek getaways; 2-4-berths, 5-8 berths, 9-12 berths; there is a narrowboat experience for every type of holidaymaker and for every budget, including money-saving offers for under 12s and over 60s bookings for next season (until the end of Jan 2017), and flotilla discounts, loyalty discounts and armed forces discounts all year round.
And finally, to pinch another quote from ‘The Wind in the Willows’: “Here today, up and off to somewhere else tomorrow! Travel, interest, excitement! The whole world before you, and a horizon that’s always changing!”
*Wi-fi is free up to 1GB per week and subject to the signal.
To make a booking or to get friendly advice on canal holidays, please call our Booking Office on 0117 304 1122.
We offer a range of different types of holidays such as City Breaks, Relaxation Cruises and Popular Destinations
So why choose Anglo Welsh?
Over 55 years providing unique canal boat holidays in England and Wales.
Modern and spacious narrowboat and wide beam barge hire – from 2 to 12 berths.
Wide choice of narrowboat hire locations and canal boat holiday destinations.
Canal boat holiday routes for novices & experienced boaters.
Flexible holiday booking, no hidden costs.
Family friendly and pet friendly holidays.
Great days out on the water.
Luxury canal boat hire and Thames boating holidays.
Anglo Welsh. So much more than narrowboats
...but don't just take our word for it
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